Guideframes in machines for fastening a strap or wire around a container, box or like package



June 11, 1963 A. VAN DER WAL 3,093,063

GUIDEFRAMES IN MACHINES FOR FASTENING A STRAP 0R WIRE AROUND A CONTAINER, BOX OR LIKE PACKAGE Filed Dec. 27, 1961 INVENTOR AU/(E VAN DEA h/AL BY M01 ATTORNEY United States Patent GUIDEFRAMES IN MACHINES FOR FASTENING A STRAP 0R WIRE AROUND A CONTAINER, BOX OR LIKE PACKAGE Auke van der Wal, The Hague, Netherlands, assignor to N.V. Vereenigde Meta-alverpakking Maatschappll, The Hague, Netherlands, a company of the Netherlands Filed Dec. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 162,466 Claims priority, application Netherlands Feb. 1, 1961 2 Claims. (Cl. 100-26) The invention relates to a frame in a machine for fastening a strap or Wire around a container, box, package or the like, said frame being provided with a guideway for said strap which is open at the inner side of the frame and said frame further being provided with means for enclosing said strap in said guideway and being adapted to move against spring pressure to a position for allowing the strap to leave the guideway and to be tensioned around the package to be tied.

The invention has for its object to improve a frame of this kind in such a manner that the strap when tensioning it can easily open the guideway and leave same for being tied around the package. According to the invention the means for closing the guideway consist of tubular bodies each of said bodies rotatably surrounding a side of the frame and extending substantially throughout the whole length of such side, said bodies each being provided with a longitudinal slot which is widened at its leading end in such a manner that in the closed position of the tubular body one of the edges of the slot obliquely extends across the open side of the guideway. If with said arrangement the strap after being fed into the guideway for forming a loop around the package is tensioned for being pulled out of the guideway the strap presses against the oblique leading edge of the slot of the tubular body so that the body is rotated against the spring pressure and the strap will gradually leave the guideway. As the strap when leaving the guideway contacts one of the edges of the slot in the tubular body it is continually guided.

The invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing showing an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an elevation of a guidefirame in a strap fas tening machine with parts in section.

FIG. 2. is a sectional view on a larger scale and taken on line IIII of FIG. 1.

The table 1 forming part of the frame of the machine not shown on the drawing supports a guideframe 2 consisting of two posts 3- and 4 secured to the table and of circular section and comprising a horizontal bar 7 also of circular section. Bar 7 is connected to posts 3 and 4 through the intermediary of corner pieces 5 and 6 respectively. The posts 3-, 4 and the bar 7 as well as the corner pieces 5 and 6 are each provided with a groove of U-shaped section located in the same vertical plane and forming a guideway 8 which is open towards the inner side of the frame 2 and serving to guide a wire or strap 10 to be secured around a package or box 9. The parts of the guideway 8 formed in the posts 3 and 4 communicate with a recess 11 formed in the upper surface of the table 1.

The machine is provided with means (not shown) for feeding a strap 10 into the recess 11 and with means (not shown) for tensioning the strap around the package 9. Means 12 are mounted in the recess 11 of the table 1 for clamping the ends of the strap onto the package and for securing the strap ends to each other.

On each of the posts 3 and 4 and on the bar 7 a tube 13 is supported and rotatable against the tension of a spring 14 as shown more clearly in FIG. 2. Said spring Patented June 11, 1963 at its one end is connected to a projection .15 of the tube 13 and at its other end is secured to a stationary part of the machine. The spring 14 tends to urge the projection 15 to a fixed abutment 16. Each tube 1-3 is provided with a slot 17 extending throughout its whole length and having a straight edge '18. The opposite edge 19 of the slot whch constitutes a pressure face for rotating the tube 13 is provided with a curved leading end 20 which in the position of the tube shown in FIG. 2 extends across the open side of the guideway 8 formed in the posts 3 and 4 and in the bar 7. With the embodiment illustrated in the drawing the curved leading portions 20 of the slot 17 are located near the lower end of the post 3, the left hand end of the bar 7 and the upper end of the post 4 respectively.

The guideway 8 at the transitions between the rods 3, 7 and -4 and the corner pieces 5 and 6 respectively is of such a depth that the strap 10 does not need to be clamped in the guideway.

If now a strap is to be secured around the package 9 the strap is fed into the guideway 8, so that it moves therein in clockwise direction to form a loop shown in full lines in FIG. 1. During said operation the tubes 13 are held by springs 14 in the position shown in FIG. 2, in which they close the guideway 8 at its open side. Thereupon the leading end 21 of the strap by means of the mechanism .12 is clamped on the lower face of the package 9 and a pull is exerted at the other end 22 of the strap in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1. Thereby the strap contacts the curved leading end 20 of the edge 19 of the slot 17 of tube 13 surrounding post 3, so that said tube will be rotated in the direction of the arrow against the action of spring 14 and the strap will be pulled out of the groove in post 3'. The strap, however, will gradually leave said groove as the pressure edge 19 of the slot 17 in the tube 13 under the action of spring 1 4 will hold the strap so that same is kept tight and continually guided. In similar manner the tubes 13 are rotated on the bar 7 and the post 4 respectively when the pull on strap 10 is continued. The portions of the guideway formed in the corner pieces -5 and 6 have no closing means.

When the whole strap r10 has been tied around the package 9 the ends 21 and 22 of the strap are secured to each other and thereafter the end 22 is severed from the feeding reel not shown on the drawing. The guideway 8 is now again closed by the tubes 13 as said latter under the action of their spring 14 have been rotated to their original position, so that the guideway is ready for taking up a next piece of strap.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine for fastening a strap or wire around a container, box or like package, the combination of a frame having a plurality of connected side elements and a guideway in said elements opening toward the inside of the frame with means for enclosing said strap in said guideway movable against spring pressure to a position for allowing the strap to leave the guideway and to be tensioned around the package to be tied, said means comprising a plurality of tubular bodies, each of which rotatably surrounds a side element of the frame, said bodies each having a longitudinal slot which is widened at its leading end, and a spring attached to each said tubular rotatable body biassing said body into a position in which said slot is out of alignment with said guideway except that one of the edges of said widened leading end of the slot obliquely extends across the opening of the guideway.

2. In a machine for fastening a strap or wire around a container, box or like package, the combination of a fixed frame having a plurality of connected side elements and a continuous guideway in said elements opening toward the inside of the frame with means for enclosing said strap in said guideway moveable against spring pressure to a position for allowing the strap to leave the guideway and to be tensioned around the package to be tied, said means comprising a plurality of tubular bodies, each of which rotatably surrounds a side element of the frame and extends substantially throughout the whole length of such element, said bodies each having a longitudinal slot which is widened at its leading end, and a spring attached to each said tubular rotatable body biassing said body into a position in which said slot is out of alignment with said guideway except that one of the edges of said widened leading end of the slot obliquely extends across the opening of the guideway such that when exerting a pull on said strap, said strap gradually leaves said guideway.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A MACHINE FOR FASTENING A STRAP OR WIRE AROUND A CONTAINER, BOX OR LIKE PACKAGE, THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME HAVING A PLURALITY OF CONNECTED SIDE ELEMENTS AND A GUIDEWAY IN SAID ELEMENTS OPENING TOWARD THE INSIDE OF TH FRAME WITH MEANS FOR ENCLOSING SAID STRAP IN SAID GUIDEWAY MOVABLE AGAINST SPRING PRESSURE TO A POSITION FOR ALLOWING THE STRAP TO LEAVE THE GUIDEWAY AND TO BE TENSIONED AROUND THE PACKAGE TO BE TIED, SAID MEANS COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR BODIES, EACH OF WHICH ROTATABLY SURROUNDS A SIDE ELEMENT OF THE FRAME, SAID BODIES EACH HAVING A LONGITUDINAL SLOT WHICH IS WIDENED AT ITS LEADING END, AND A SPRING ATTACHED TO EACH SAID TUBULAR ROTATABLE BODY BIASSING SAID BODY INTO A POSITION IN WHICH SAID SLOT IS OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH SAID GUIDEWAY EXCEPT THAT ONE OF THE EDGES OF SAID WIDENED LEADING END OF THE SLOT OBLIQUELY EXTENDS ACROSS THE OPENING OF THE GUIDEWAY. 